How to set alarms and timers using Siri

Complete guide to Siri commands for alarms, timers, and the clock

Siri ties right into the iOS Clock app on your iPhone 5, iPhone 4S, iPad 4, iPad mini, and iPod touch 5, which means if you want to be woken up at 7am, have a timer set for 10 minutes so the cookies don't burn, or find out what the hour is in Australia before you call, Siri can keep you alerted and on time.

How to set an alarm with Siri

Tell Siri to set an alarm, along with the time. For example: "Set an alarm for 8pm", "Set an alarm for 5 minutes from now", "wake me up at 9am".

Siri will display the alarm widget on the screen. If you change your mind about the alarm, you can simply toggle it to "off". You can also tap the widget to be taken to the Clock app.

Note: Siri can’t set an alarm for more than one day in advance. If you try to use Siri to set an alarm further in advance, you'll be asked if you want to set a Reminder instead.

How to set a repeating alarm with Siri

If you want an alarm to repeat, for example, to wake you up at the same time every day, Siri can set that up for you as well.

Press and hold down the Home button to activate Siri.

Tell Siri to set an alarm, along with the time. For example: "Set an alarm for 6pm every weekday" or "wake me up at 9am ever day".

When Siri displays the alarm widget, the repetition interval is show about the on/off toggle switch.

How to show current alarms with Siri

Over time, you may lose track of all the alarms you've set, especially inactive ones. Siri can show you list of all alarms, and their current status -- on or off.

Press and hold down the Home button to activate Siri.

Tell Siri to: "Show all alarms".

You can quickly toggle any of the alarms shown from on to off or vice versa, or ask Siri to change or delete them. (See below.)

How to change an alarm with Siri

If you set an alarm, but later need to change it, Siri can handle that for you as well.

Press and hold down the Home button to activate Siri.

Tell Siri which alarm you want to change, and what time you want to change it to. For example: "Change my 9am alarm to 9:30am."

How to turn off alarms with Siri

Nights get late, meetings get canceled, and plans change. If you no longer need an alarm, you can ask Siri to turn it off.

Press and hold down the Home button to activate Siri.

Tell Siri which alarm you want to turn off. For example: "Turn off my 8am alarm" or even "turn off all alarms."

Note: Turning off is different than canceling or deleting. When you turn an alarm off, it remains available for you to quickly turn back on at any time, even manually. When you cancel or delete an alarm, it's gone completely and needs to be recreated if you ever want to use it again.

How to cancel alarms with Siri

When turning off alarms isn't enough, and you want them completely gone from your Clock system entirely, Siri a fast way to delete a specific alarm, and an incredibly fast way to delete all of them.

Press and hold down the Home button to activate Siri.

Tell Siri which alarm you want to cancel. For example: "Cancel my 9:30am alarm" or go for the nuclear option and "cancel all alarms".

How to set a timer with Siri

Since the Clock app can set timers as well as alarms, Siri can set timers as well as alarms. Whether you're waiting for your cookies to bake, or your next set of circuit training to begin, Siri can make sure you always alerted at exactly the right time.

Press and hold down the Home button to activate Siri.

Tell Siri to set the timer, and for how long. For example: "Set a timer for 10 minutes".

The Timer widget will remain visible on your screen until the timer goes off, or you leave Siri. Tap the timer widget to launch the Clock app and access the manual controls.

Note: Siri can only run one timer at a time. If you try to set another, Siri will ask you if you want to keep the current one or change to the new one. (See below.)

How to show, stop, or re-start a timer with Siri

If Siri is no longer displaying your timer, you can easily ask it to show you the timer again, and to pause/stop or start it whenever you like.

Press and hold down the Home button to activate Siri.

Tell Siri what you want to do with the current time. For example: "Show timer", "stop timer", "start timer".

How to change a timer with Siri

Siri can also change the duration of a timer, if you need to increase or decrease the length for any reason.

Press and hold down the Home button to activate Siri.

Tell Siri to change the timer. For example: "Change timer to 5 minutes".

How to find out the time with Siri

What if you need to know the time in Cupertino, California so you don't miss that Apple keynote? Or you want to find out the time in Rome, Italy, so you don't wake up nono too early? Just ask Siri.

Press and hold down the Home button to activate Siri.

Ask Siri the time in any location around the world. For example: "What's the time in Rome, Italy?"

Tap the clock widget to go to the Clock app for more options.

How to get more help with Siri

If you still need help with setting up or using Siri with your iPhone Contacts, or any other Siri feature, head on over to our Siri Forum and ask away!

Note: This article is an updated version of a previous how-to, adding video as well as new features from iOS 6, and newly supported devices.

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